1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming device and method in which, after inks corresponding to respective colors have been transferred onto an image forming material, a color image corresponding to a print original image is formed on an image receiving material by the inks of the respective colors being successively transferred onto the image receiving material.
2. Description of the Related Art
At a printer, when color printing a large amount of printed matter in which it is necessary to check the color in particular, e.g., calendars, picture books, photograph books, color advertisements included in newspapers (so-called "inserted bills") and the like, an advance check is performed by using color proofs (proofing) before the actual printing is effected at the printer.
In order to print several color proofs during proofing, photosensitive materials are used which are cheaper than and less printable than a photosensitive lithographic printing plate (PS plate) used in actual printing.
The printed matter finished by proofing is distributed to respective persons for checking. After various checks have been performed, the original is corrected.
However, in conventional proofing devices, there is a dispersion in the quality of the printed matter obtained when several color proofs are printed. Therefore, before the color proofs are distributed to the respective persons for checking, color proofs having matching quality must be selected. Further, because printing of the color proofs is carried out by using the ink used during actual printing, the operators' hands become dirty, maintenance of the device is complex, and workability is insufficient.
In recent years, a method of preparing color proofs has been used in which a photosensitive material, in which a pigment is included in advance, and a color separated print original corresponding to the pigment are exposed and developed while in a superposed state. Photosensitive materials on which the color separated images of the respective colors are recorded are thereby obtained. These color separated images are successively transferred to a single image receiving film. Next, the color proofs are prepared by the image forming device ("Color Art" [trade name] manufactured by Fuji Photo Film Co., Ltd.) which carries out the actual transfer onto the printing paper (actual paper).
In accordance with such an image forming device, because ink is not used, there are no operational drawbacks, such as the operators' hands being dirtied or the like, and the maintainability of the device also improves. Further, because the quality is stable, there is no dispersion of the images on the finished actual paper.
However, although the conventional drawbacks (unstable quality, maintainability, and the like) have been solved in the preparation of color proofs by the above-described image forming device, each time a single color proof is prepared, exposure must be effected by using the color separated originals of each color. Therefore, there are drawbacks in that much time and labor is involved.